Scorpions—Armed and Dangerous

Created Creature

Scorpions appear armed to scare and kill. Are we supposed to be afraid, or is it just our imagination?

Of all arthropods1 scorpions seem to rank very high on the
creep scale. With their large pincers on one end, a long, curving, stinging tail
on the other, their intimidating ninja pose, and their frightening name, it’s
no wonder they strike fear. But most scorpions are no more dangerous than a bee
or wasp. Although they have a deadly reputation, only about 25 out of more than
1,500 scorpion species alive today can deliver a fatal sting to humans.

It may seem unthinkable that scorpions, divinely designed predators, could
have once lived on vegetation, but in Genesis 1:30 God says, “Everything that
creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for
food.”

A world where animals didn’t eat other animals is almost impossible to imagine.

A world where animals didn’t eat other animals is almost impossible to imagine.
Though we don’t know how everything worked in a perfect world, we do
know that scorpions didn’t harm human beings. That came after Adam’s sin brought
death and suffering into the world.

Until recent years, all spiders were also thought to be predators. Then researchers
found a plant-eating spider in Central America. If a spider can live on vegetation,
then why not a scorpion?

Even the scorpion's stinger may have been a post-Fall development (genetically
but not physically present before the Fall) or used in non-violent ways during
courtship. Genetic instructions for the changes necessary to transform scorpions
into predators after the Fall could have been present at the moment of creation.

A Fearsome Arsenal

This stinger belongs to the largest scorpion in
North America, the giant hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis), which
can grow to half a foot (14 cm).

You can’t ponder the scorpion without noticing all its magnificent weaponry.
The most obvious items in its arsenal are the bulbous stinger mounted on the
tip of the abdomen and the arm-like pinching pedipalps. The pedipalps seize
prey, which mostly consists of insects (bigger scorpions can take on small rodents
and reptiles). If the prey is larger and likely to fight back, the scorpion
can whip its tail over its head and sting. Muscles surrounding the dual venom
glands inside the stinger then contract to squeeze the venom out of a hole near
the tip. This neurotoxic venom quickly kills or immobilizes the prey. But there
are more subtleties to the stinger. The sophistication of venom delivery is
marvelously designed for a fallen world. Certain scorpions employ two types
of venom—a less toxic pre-venom that’s clear, and a more toxic venom that is
opaque. The scorpion can size up its prey and inject the venom that is the best
for the job.

Liquid Fuel

Once the prey is sufficiently subdued, the pedipalps hand it over to the chelicerae.
These mouthparts tear and crunch up food. Not too long ago, while looking for
reptiles, I flipped over a rock and found a little scorpion in the middle of
a termite colony, stuffing its chelicerae with termites. But it didn’t bother
stinging these little six-legged Twinkies—they were small enough to handle without
using venom, which takes a lot of energy to produce.

A scorpion can drink only liquid food, so it must mix the mashed munchies with
digestive juices, which it secretes into the pre-oral cavity. Once the food
turns into “soup,” it can be swallowed. Any solid bits are strained out by bristles
in the pre-oral cavity, the scorpion’s “fuel filter.” This liquid diet concentrates
nutrients and saves the energy of digesting food internally.

A Complete Array of Sensors

Scorpions are not just desert creatures like this species from the Kalahari desert
in southern Africa. They
are found in virtually all
types of environments
and on every continent except Antarctica.

Not only did God design the scorpion’s weaponry to hunt prey and defend against
attack, He also equipped it to keenly sense its surroundings. With two very
sensitive eyes on top of its cephalothorax and two to five more pairs of eyes
positioned like headlights on the side near the front, this nocturnal hunter
is well equipped to spot other animals in the dim night light. On the underside
of the scorpion’s abdomen is a pair of curious comb-like pectines that brush
the ground. They seem to sense ground texture as well as vibrations from the
movements of nearby creatures. These and other sense organs (mostly bristles
on its legs) enable the scorpion to be ready for action should food or potential
threats enter its territory.

Grim Reminder

The scorpion is a vivid reminder of the Curse and the deadly consequences of
our sin against a holy and just God. Adam’s one sin in the Garden of Eden brought
all this pain and suffering into the world. But because of God’s love, He sent
His Son, Jesus Christ, to experience death’s sting in our place and redeem sinful
mankind (Acts 2:22–24; John 3:16). Someday God will redeem His fallen creation,
as well. Then He will take away all predator-prey relationships— the poison
and the pain, the fangs and the fears—and the scorpion will be restored to its
original diet (Isaiah 11:6–9).

Did You Know?

Scorpions glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light. Researchers
aren’t sure of its biological significance, but beta-carboline in their
cuticle is the chemical responsible for the fluorescence. Larger scorpions
that have shed more times have thicker exoskeletons, so they glow more brightly.
Biologists studying them can easily find them with a hand-held UV lamp.

Scorpions can drop their metabolic rate and survive on one insect per
year when food is scarce, but still come instantly to full alert when threatened.

When courting, defending itself, or hunting, the scorpion holds its tail
in an arch over its body with the stinger at the ready. Otherwise, the tail
lies flat or is curled to the side.

Courting involves a lot of dancing. Face to face, male and female grasp
each other with their pedipalps and promenade together. He may even sting
her in the cephalothorax or pedipalp. This isn’t fully understood, but it
may pacify her. Not a bad move when courting a killer.

All scorpions give birth to live young, called scorplings (from 1 to
more than 100 at a time). They ride piggy-back until after their first molt
(about a week after birth). Then they’re on their own.

PHYLUM: ArthropodaCLASS: ArachnidaORDER: ScorpionesFAMILY: between 13 and 20 families (depends on the authority)SPECIES: over 1,500 species are currently knownSIZE: 0.35–8.3 in (9 mm–21 cm)DIET: Mostly insects, but sometimes small rodents and reptiles, and
other scorpions.HABITAT: Scorpions live on every continent except Antarctica, and in
virtually all types of environments, from deserts to rainforests, beaches
to mountains over 12,000 feet (3,700 m) high.

Answers Magazine

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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. We focus on providing answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.